The Fire Rises
by Packersfan12
Summary: "I told you once I wouldn't lie to you." he said softly. Margo sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, watching him silently. Barsad turned away from the window to face her. He dropped to his knees in front of her so that they were face to face, "When I told you that if you ran, I'd kill you, I was lying." He paused, "Truth is, I could never hurt you." Barsad/O.C.
1. Chapter 1

"Mmm, my my would you look at that." Sheridan said leaning over the counter to gawk at a passing man. Margo glanced up from her papers to look at Sheridan's newest victim, tall, dark, dressed in a smoky grey suit, hair perfectly slicked back. Margo snorted and rolled her eyes, "Not my type."

Sheridan cocked a perfectly trimmed eyebrow at her, "What is you type Margo? You pass up every fine looking thing that passes by here." She sat down on the chair next to Margo and continued, "And they've gotta have tons of money! Hello, it's the stock exchange!"

"I don't care about money, Sher, money is the thing that causes so much corruption. We see guys come out of here every day with injuries because of the fights they get in. And what is it for? Money." Margo said.

Sheridan laughed, the sound like bells in the wind, "Ok, Margo, point proven. But someday, someday I tell you, I will set you up with the perfect guy!"

They continued the day at the front desk of the Gotham City Stock Exchange, making small talk about the weather, the perfect place for ice cream, and the Gotham Rogues' six game winning streak. Before she knew it, it was time for Margo's shift to end.

"Hey, Marg, you wanna hit up Ziggy's for a couple of drinks tonight?" Sheridan asked, as Margo buttoned up her black peacoat. Margo smiled, but shook her head, "Not tonight, Sher, I'm just not feeling it."

"Ok," Sheridan smiled, "have a good night!"

"You too." Margo said, and pushed the doors open, the marble floor turning into concrete under her feet. It was already dark outside, a cool breeze rustling her dark brunette hair around her shoulders. Winter was coming, she could smell it in the air, and her potted plants she kept at home were already starting to wilt.

Margo cut through the back alley of the stock exchange, something she did every night. It was the fastest way to get to her small apartment, only five blocks away if she cut through the alley. She wrapped her silky white scarf around her neck, tucking it in her coat, and started walking.

Ahead of her, the back door of the exchange opened and four men emerged, holding different uniforms of the workers at the exchange. They all stopped when they saw her, glancing at each other as if wondering what to do.

Margo stopped, eyeing the men cautiously, and turned to walk the other way.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" She heard a deep male voice say behind her. She took a deep breath and started walking faster. Footsteps started toward her, and she looked over her shoulder to see them coming after her. She gasped and started running, but one of the men caught her arm and yanked her around. Margo let out a whimper as he held her against him. "I asked you, where do you think you're going?"

"I just want to go home, please." Margo said.

"Not with an ass like that." the man said, "What do you think boys, it's still a little too warm outside to wear a jacket, don't ya think?"

The other men smirked, "Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking Jay."

"No, please, I'll give you money." Margo said, "I'll give you anything you want, just let me go."

"Anything we want?" The man holding her arm leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Now you really shouldn't have said that." and then he crushed his mouth on hers.

Margo screamed, struggling against him. She beat her fists against his chest and tried to kick him, but the other three men gathered around her and caught her legs. They threw her on the ground behind a dumpster, and struggled with the buttons on her coat. She saw a glass bottle next to her and grabbed it, smashing it against the head of the man nearest her. He cried out in pain, grabbing his bloody face. The others all stared at him in slight shock. The one who had kissed her grabbed her chin, "You bitch!" He rose his balled fist into the air and was ready to send it crashing into her face when the door to the stock exchanged opened again.

Out emerged a man of average height, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and grey army pants. He had a full head of messy brown hair, and a small beard growing on his chin. Margo could already imagine what Sheridan would say, "Damn, now that boy's fine!"

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, his voice deep and accented.

"Sir, we were-uh-"

"Bitch attacked me sir!" the man she had hit with the bottle said.

Margo's savior snorted, giving a half smile, "Good for her." he clapped his hands together and stepped forward, "But to me, it looked like you were the ones attacking."

"We just wanted a little fun, sir. Bane's got us shut up in those sewers, none of us see any action anymore!"

The boss grabbed the man that had kissed Margo by the collar and hoisted him up so they were face to face, "I should kill you myself, save Bane the trouble."

They were all obviously troubled by his words and shook their heads, "No, sir, please Bane doesn't need to know about this!"

"Why not?"

"He needs us for tomorrow!"

"Replacements are easy to find." the boss said, and threw the man to the side. He knelt beside Margo and asked, "Are you alright ma'am?" his harsh voice turning soft.

Margo stayed silent, feeling herself shaking.

"May I see your hand?" He motioned to her right hand, which she now noticed was bleeding. "Sure." she said quietly, holding it out to him. He inspected it carefully, before tearing a piece of his scarf off and wrapped it around her hand, "Well, good news," he said, "you won't lose it."

If it weren't for the circumstances, Margo might have laughed. She took her hand out of his quickly, cradling it to her chest, "Thank you."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Margo." she breathed.

"Barsad." he said, holding out his hand. She stared at it until he retracted it and said, "Don't worry, these men will be dealt with," he glared at them, "trust me." he stood and motioned to the others, his voice turning from soft to assertive, "Let's go."

They jumped up and followed him down the alley, and he ushered them around the corner. Before he disappeared, he looked back. She stared at him, and he stared back before blinking and disappearing in the shadows.

_** And so we have it folks, the first chapter to my Barsad story! Don't get me wrong, I love Bane and I'm going to continue with the sequel to Vow to Protect, but I just rewatched the movie and decided I needed to write a story for Barsad. He's too gorgeous not to have a little loving! Reviews are completely appreciated! :D So read, review, do what you want! :D**_


	2. Chapter 2

Margo shoved the keys to her apartment into her door, quickly locking it. She looked through the peep hole to make sure no one was following her, and then turned, letting her back rest against the door. She covered her face, and felt herself sliding down the door until she was sitting, her knees pulled up to her chest. Margo refused to cry, she wouldn't allow herself. What those men had done was terrible, and it scared her to know that it had almost happened to her. It's not supposed to happen to you, it always happens elsewhere, to someone else.

Margo stood, padding to the kitchen and grabbing her phone. She dialed her upstairs neighbor Kade. He answered on the second ring, "Berkhardt."

"Hey Kade? It's Margo." she said, twisting the cord around her finger, "Listen, I've got a bottle of Cupcake Moscato that I'm never going to finish on my own, do you think you can help?"

"Cupcake Moscato? I'll be over in five." Kade said.

"Awesome, thanks bud!" Margo said, then hung the phone on its hook. She smiled about her friend, even though he was a police officer, he still found time to stop by. She looked around at her apartment. It wasn't bad, she felt privileged to live in a nice apartment like this. She knew many people in Gotham lived on the streets because of the wealthy. It was a larger sized apartment, her living room painted a dark brown. She had splurged a little and bought herself a flat screen television. It was mounted on top of a small fireplace made of light stones. A white couch and two chairs were situated around a coffee table seated upon a small white carpet. Her dining room was small, a round table positioned in the middle. Pictures of her parents and younger sister hung on the maroon walls. The kitchen was her favorite part. It had oak cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. A small island was in the middle of the room, part of the counter a butcher block. The counter itself was black marble. From the ceiling hung a rack where she hung her pots and pans. Her bedroom was painted a mint color, her bed set brown with the same mint colored flower designs on it. A dresser lay on the wall opposite the bed, and a closet to her right. All in all, she wasn't complaining.

There came a knock at her door and she scurried through the apartment and unlocked the door. Kade stood with a lopsided smile, his blonde hair messy and unkempt. Margo stood aside, "Come on in!"

"Don't mind if I do." Kade said, stepping inside, "I hope you don't mind, I didn't wear any shoes."

Margo put a hand on her hip, "Since when do I like shoes on in my apartment?"

Kade winked, "Just kidding, Margo. So how were the stocks today?"

"Not good." she said, fetching the wine out of her refrigerator, "There still dropping. I see a lot of disappointed faces coming out of there."

"Gotham's getting worse and worse each year." Kade said, "Gordon says it's peacetime, but there's something about the peace that's too good to be true. It's too silent."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I haven't seen hardly any criminal activity whatsoever." Kade said, "Yeah sure there's speeding tickets and whatnot, but no robberies, no murders, no beatings. It's like they've all disappeared."

Margo frowned, "But where'd they go?"

"Everything's all set, sir." Barsad said, standing next to Bane. They looked out over the workers as they strung cables up to the ceiling and picked away at the stone.

"Everyone knows what to do?" Bane asked.

"I've briefed them, if they need me to say something twice, they should be shot." Barsad said.

"What is this I hear of a girl?" Bane asked after a long moment of silence.

"The men got a little carried away, sir. They tried forcing themselves on a woman," he smiled, "but she fought back. Gave one of them a nice cut on the face." He pictured the girl in his mind again. Her face was enough to get him going, she was so beautiful it made even his chest tighten, and it took a lot for that to happen. Margo.

Bane made a sound that said he was somewhat impressed, "Did you kill them?"

"Thought I'd leave that to you, sir." Barsad said.

"You are a man of little words, Barsad." Bane said, turning to his right hand man.

Barsad looked down at the cement then back up at Bane, "Sometimes things are better left unsaid."

Bane's eyes crinkled, "If you ever see this woman again, I'd like to speak with her."

Barsad frowned but said, "Yes sir."

"There is a man in the stone room, he is a traitor." Bane turned away from Barsad to sit at his desk in front of numerous monitor screens, "Take care of him."

"Yes sir." he said, turning away from Bane. He walked through the many hoards of workers sitting around small fires. They watched as he passed them, some of them nodding to him. He nodded back and sometimes gave a small smile at those he knew.

As he neared the stone room, the guards snapped straight. He nodded to them and entered. He didn't see a man as Bane had said, only a boy, sitting at a metal table. Barsad guessed he was only about seventeen. He had seen him around the sewers, even talked to him a few times. The boy had lost his parents as had Barsad, so he couldn't help but feel a small amount of sympathy for him. Barsad smiled, "Mr. Bartholomew."

The boy looked up, "Barsad? What's going on?"

"Bane sent me to ask you a few questions, nothing to worry about." Barsad said.

Normally, he would have saved himself the time and shot him then and there, but he didn't want the boy to see it coming.

"About what?" Bartholomew asked.

"Well," Barsad said, walking around the back of the boy, "he wants to know where you were yesterday."

"I told him already-" Bartholomew carried on with his answer. Barsad wasn't listening, though. He took the pistol out of the holster at his hip. He cocked it silently and held it up centimeters away from the boy's head. Barsad exhaled and pulled the trigger. Bartholomew's head snapped forward, hitting the table. His blood splattered the walls around him, bits of brain on the metal table. Barsad blinked and put his pistol away. It was as simple as that, killing someone. All it took was one small movement of his index finger and someone was dead. Barsad liked the idea of killing, knowing that he held so many lives in his hands, that at any moment he could pull a trigger and the lives of so many could be gone. Because of him. There would be no remorse, he felt nothing when he killed. Bane felt nothing, he actually enjoyed watching Barsad kill, more so than killing himself.

Barsad walked around the table and stopped in front of the closed door. He turned slightly to look back at the boy. His head was still resting on the table, his hands palm down next to it. He turned back and looked at the door handle. It was wet with blood. He was somewhat impressed with himself that the boy's blood had made it that far. Barsad pressed down on the handle and exited the room. He turned to the two guards, "Have fun cleaning."

The guards glanced at each other as he turned away to find Bane and tell him the job was done. But as he climbed the steps to Bane's 'office' he couldn't help but picture Bartholomew's face in his mind. The face of a boy not so different than he himself was.

_**To start off, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! You guys make me tingly all over! :) I kind of had fun writing this chapter and showing Barsad's role in Bane's master plan a little better. I liked to think that Barsad took care of a lot of Bane's dirty work, so please no haters! **_


	3. Chapter 3

"So, how was your night?" Sheridan asked the next day as she and Margo hung their jackets up on the coat rack. Margo snorted, "It was definitely one I don't want to remember."

"Why?" Sheridan asked.

"I was going through the back alley when these guys came from the back of the building." Margo said, leaving it at that.

"Oh no," Sheridan said, starting to take off her earrings, "no they did not touch you! What did these guys look like, cause I will find them, and I will beat they asses!"

"Whoa, whoa, Sher, listen I know you're from Harlem but try not to go ghetto on me. It's kind of scary." Margo smiled sheepishly, "And they didn't have time to touch me, some guy stopped them. It was like he was their boss or something."

"Like the mafia?" Sheridan asked.

"I don't know." Margo said.

"Well, sounds like you got yourself a hero, Marg! What was his name?"

"He said it was Barsad." Margo said as they took their places at the front desk.

"Barsad? What the hell kind of name is that?" Sheridan asked, "That's some messed up stuff."

"I kind of like it." Margo said, "Barsaaaad."

"You're a dork." Sheridan said, "I say we hit up McDonald's for lunch, I'm craving a good ol' Big Mac."

"Sounds good to me." Margo said. A man approached the desk, his mustache curled up like he was in Texas, "Excuse me ma'am?"

Margo smiled, "Yes sir?"

"Listen, there's some funny business going on around here." he said, "Guys acting stranger than a snake with a belly button."

Margo glanced at Sheridan to make sure she had heard it too. They both smiled politely to hide the fact that they wanted to laugh, "Sir, it

is the stock exchange. People are all sorts of crazy around here."

"Yeah I guess so, but keep your eye out. Wouldn't want a pretty lass like you to get hurt." Mustache guy said.

"Well, thank you sir, we'll watch for anything suspicious." Margo said.

He nodded and walked away. Sheridan laughed, "What was that?"

Margo smiled, "Certainly the highlight of my day." she watched as people flooded through the glass doors of the exchange. All coming with smiles, only to leave with creased brows. As she watched, she saw a familiar face in the crowd. A man with messy brown hair and a small beard growing on his chin. He was walking quickly, his head lowered into his black pleather jacket.

"That's him!" Margo practically leapt over the desk, "Sher, that's the guy that saved me!"

"Which one, Combover?" Sheridan asked, her nose wrinkled.

"What? No! The one in the black jacket!"

"There's lots of guys in black jackets Margo." Sheridan said dully.

"He's right in front of your face!" Margo said, turning Sheridan's head in Barsad's direction.

"Oh, tall, dark, and smokin'?" Sheridan asked.

"Yeah, him."

Sheridan arched an eyebrow, "Wish he would save my life. Do you think he knows CPR?"

"Why?"

"Cause I'm about to have a heart attack."

"Sheridan!" Margo swatted her shoulder.

"Oh like you wouldn't fake a heart attack for that boy!"

"Um...no I wouldn't." Margo said, shrugging, "Should I say hi?"

"Say hi?" Sheridan asked, an eyebrow arched, "Yes, you should say hi! He did save your life didn't he? Go! I'll watch the desk, nobody comes over here anyway."

"Except for guys weirder than a snake's belly button." Margo said winking.

"Go!" Sheridan groaned, "Go say thank you!"

Margo turned to go when she looked back at Sheridan, "Wait! How do I look?"

"Like a doll, now go!" Sheridan said, turning her around and pushing her, "Before you lose him!"

Margo pushed through the crowd, looking over their heads to find the mystery Barsad character. She stopped before the door that lead to the main exchange room, sweeping the crowd of people for him. She turned in circles watching everyone that passed her in black jackets. He was nowhere to be seen, so she pushed her way into the main exchange room.

People were shouting and arguing, pointing at the screens and spitting in each other's faces with over-pronounced p's and f's. She had always hated being in this room, watching the greed in the people's faces, seeing the deviousness in their eyes. Margo pushed her way through the crowd again watching faces that passed her. After ten minutes she gave up and disappointedly exited the main exchange room.

She paused for one last glance through the crowd by the doors. She still didn't see him and sighed, turning to head back to the front desk.

"Lost Miss Margo?"

Margo jumped at the voice behind her, deep and slightly accented. She turned to find Barsad standing inches behind her. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, his jacket zipped up with a crimson scarf wrapped around his neck and stuffed inside his jacket. His hair was as she remembered, dark and messy.

"No, not lost." she said smiling, "I work here, it's hard to get lost. And there are maps over on the wall so all I'd have to do is get one of those. Or I could ask security." She mentally kicked herself for rambling. Margo grimaced, "I'm...sorry for rambling."

He smiled, "Rambling never hurt anyone."

"I was actually looking for you." Margo said awkwardly, "I mean I saw you come through the doors and wanted to say thank you."

He cocked his head to the side, "Thank you?"

"For last night, when you stopped those guys from, well, you know." She said.

Barsad's eyes traveled to the ceiling as if in thought, and then he nodded, "Oh yes, I remember."

"Yeah, so...thank you." Margo said, smiling.

Barsad softly chuckled, "No big deal, they got their consequences."

Margo frowned, "Nothing bad right?"

"Oh no." Barsad said quietly, "Nothing bad." but the knowing glint in his eyes said different.

"Listen, I was thinking," Margo said, mustering all her courage, "to make it up to you, I was wondering if I could buy you dinner? I know a great place on Baker's St."

For the first time, Barsad looked troubled, "Um...well..."

Margo slapped her forehead, "Right. Girlfriend. Obviously you'd have a girlfriend, how could you not have a girlfriend?"

Barsad arched an eyebrow, "Actually I don't."

Margo looked in between her fingers as she covered her face in embarrassment, "You don't?"

He smiled, looking down, "No, but I don't know if I can."

"Well, you keep my offer in mind, and if you find that you can," Margo motioned to the front desk, "you know where to find me." She looked over to the desk, where Sheridan waved at them enthusiastically.

He looked over to the desk, smiled, then back at her, "Sure."

"Sure as in you know where to find me, or sure as in you're going to come to dinner?" Margo asked.

"I know where to find you." he said quietly.

"Oh, okay." Margo said, "Well, you don't have to if you don't want to. I just wanted to thank you."

"Never said I didn't want to." Barsad said shrugging, "Just a busy man."

"Oh I bet!" Margo said, "Well, I better get back to the desk."

Barsad smiled, "I'll see you around."

"Yeah." Margo smiled and turned around to go to her desk, "Oh!" she whipped around, "I forgot-"

Barsad was gone.

"So, how'd it go?" Sheridan asked when she got back.

"I asked him to dinner." Margo said.

Sheridan squealed, "And?"

"He said he didn't know."

Sheridan's face turned serious, "He didn't know?"

"Nope."

"What a...I don't even know what to call him!"

"He's going to come back here sometime and tell me." Margo said.

"That's what he said." Sheridan said, "He probably just blew you off, because no hottie like that is going to be well mannered."

"I don't know." Margo said, "He's the only one I've ever felt...butterflies for?"

"Oh." Sheridan pretended to wipe tears from her eyes, "Butterflies? He's your type!"

Margo rolled her eyes, and they continue the day with small talk. Finally it was the end of their shift and they parted ways. "Now I ain't gon' here no story about you getting gang raped tomorrow am I?"

"No." Margo said, "Don't worry, Sher, I'll be fine."

"K, just making sure. See you tomorrow."

Margo again took the back ally of the exchange. Just because something happened yesterday, didn't mean it would happen again. She was wrong of course.

She passed the door the men had come out of, and was twenty feet away from exiting the alley, when a man stepped in her way at the exit. Two others came up on either side of her, putting a bag over her head. The last thing she remembered, was someone lifting her into a vehicle, and then she got lost in the blackness.

_**Just wanted to say thank you again for reviewing! :D Keep em coming!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Margo blinked at the artificial light that surrounded her. She sat up, suddenly wishing she hadn't as the world swam around her.

"You should lie down, you will feel better." a voice to her right said pleasantly.

She looked over and flinched. There sat a man that towered over her even as he sat. He wore an odd mask on his face. It wrapped around his head, covering his mouth and nose. There were spider-like tubes in the front, giving him an ominous frightening look.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"In the sewers below Gotham City." He said matter of factly.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Bane. And you are Margo." He said.

"How do you know?"

"Driver's license." Bane said.

Margo patted her secret inside pocket of her jacket and found the license was gone. She glared at him, "So you think you can just take my stuff?"

Bane's eyes crinkled, "You were unconscious, I needed to know your emergency information."

"Great excuse, pal."

"I'm going to be calling you an escort to take you to your temporary chambers for now." Bane said, rising, "You will not be able to leave without one. Come."

Margo rose from the table, but stayed where she stood. Bane stopped in the door, "I suggest you follow, or worse things will happen than what happened at the exchange."

Margo sighed and reluctantly followed him, "So who's this escort you're talking about?"

Bane stopped in front of two men talking. One man's back was to her, and Bane clapped his shoulder. He turned around, still smiling from something the other man had said, "Sir?"

Margo's heart stopped, and she nearly passed back out. Barsad stood in front of her, his face slightly revealing his shock.

"Barsad, I would like for you to escort her to the stone room." Bane said.

"Sir, it hasn't yet been cleaned." Barsad said, staring at the giant man.

"That does not concern me." Bane said, turning, "Take her there, and then I have a task for you."

"Yes sir." Barsad said, taking Margo by the arm.

"Barsad?" Margo whispered, "What the hell?"

"How did you get here?" he asked, his face draining of all color.

"I was kidnapped!" She said angrily.

Barsad tugged roughly on her arm, steering her in the direction he was going, his face tight with emotions she couldn't place. He lead her past a group of men who stared hungrily at Margo, cat whistling and calling her dirty names. She stared at the ground, stepping closer to Barsad.

"Barsad's getting lucky tonight." One of the men said quietly, "That girl's smokin'. I'll have her in my pants by the end of the week."

Barsad struck his hand out lightning fast, grabbing the man by his neck, pulling him down so that they were face to face, "You touch her, you deal with me."

The man's eyes grew wide and his breathing quickened, "Y-yes sir."

"That goes for all of you." Barsad said louder giving them all a stony look, "None of you are to touch this girl."

Margo stood frozen in front of them, and watched as Barsad turned back to her. He took her arm and proceeded to lead her in the direction they were headed. Finally they rounded a corner that revealed a small door built into the wall. Two men stood guarding the door, their faces void of emotion. Barsad nodded to them, and they nodded back, stepping aside slightly to allow him room. Barsad swung the door open, revealing an empty room splattered with red.

"This is where you will be staying," Barsad said quietly, "sorry about the mess." he gently pushed her forward, and turned to go. Margo smelled it before it registered in her head, that thick irony smell.

"Barsad," she said suddenly, causing him to turn back, "it's blood."

He stared at her for a long time, a look of guilty passing through his eyes. He simply nodded and closed the door, leaving Margo alone amongst the blood of a dead boy.

_**I just wanted to say I'm very very sorry for the huge delay in writing! My life has been so busy I haven't gotten a chance to write lately. Hopefully I'll be back for a long time! And thank you for all of the reviews, I'm so inspired by you! **_


	5. Chapter 5

Barsad stood outside Bane's quarters, waiting for him to finish his conversation with one of his followers. He ran a hand down his face, the image of Margo's face as he closed her in the bloodied room flashing through his mind. Of all the people in Gotham that Bane's men could have caught, it had to have been her.

The flaps of Bane's entrance opened and a boy walked out, not older than seventeen, his face covered in grime. Barsad nodded at him as they passed each other and entered Bane's quarters.

"Ah, Barsad, what brings you here?" Rasped Bane's mechanical voice.

"Sir, I was just wondering the benefits of keeping the girl here." Barsad said.

"The girl," Bane started, "there is no benefit. She had caught my men in the act, and we didn't need her to cause any trouble."

"What if she swears not to tell anyone?"

Bane turned away from the monitors he was seated at and turned his gaze on Barsad, "So eager to get her out, Barsad, why I wonder?"

"This isn't a place for a woman." Barsad said, "You saw how the men stared at her, like she was a piece of meat."

"What about you?" Bane asked.

"Sir?"

"You stared at her too, quite hungrily."

Barsad frowned, "I certainly wasn't imagining what the others were."

"Whatever the matter, Barsad, she won't be leaving this place." Bane said, "I consider you a friend, but if she disappears, it'll be on you."

Barsad slightly dipped his head, "Yes sir."

"Now leave me."

Barsad left Bane's quarters and decided to go to Gotham. He had to clear his head before his anger got the best of him. He started running up the stairs, pounding his feet into the cement, taking them two at a time. When he finally reached the top, he was slightly sweating, but his anger tolerable.

It was snowling aboveground, coming down in sheets. He stepped out into the streets and started walking, keeping his head low against the snow, and pulling his scarf up over his nose.

"Barsad!"

_No. _He thought, _You're not welcome here._

"Barsad!"

He was suddenly running, but the concrete faded into gravel and the tall skyscrapers disappeared to reveal a hilly landscape blanketed with sparkling, white snow. There stood a ramshackle hut in between two hills, a few cows grazing out front.

Barsad was still running, something heavy in his hands. Suddenly the white snow became specked with red under his feet, and his breathing became more frantic.

"Barsad!"

He rounded the corner of his house to find his mother lying on the cold ground, her body covered with blood that soaked the ground around her. Standing over her was his father who held a machete in one hand and a broken bottle in the other.

Barsad looked down at his own hands that stiffly grasped a gun, which he aimed at his father, "Put it down, Dad."

"Don't be a fool, Barsad." His father slurred, "You won't shoot me."

"Try me." Barsad said shakily.

His father grinned, revealing black rotted teeth, and started laughing. His mother gasped for breath below him and screamed when he rose the machete up for the killing blow.

Barsad's shot echoed through the hillside, landing in the side of his father's head. The machete tumbled out of his hand and hit the dirt behind the fallen, lifeless body.

The grey skies suddenly opened up, and delicate snowflakes fell around Barsad as he fell to his knees beside his mother. Her hands grasped her gaping stomach, and Barsad knew there wasn't anything he could do.

"Barsad," his mother gasped, "my sweet, sweet Barsad."

He let out a heart wrenching scream and opened his eyes to find passersby staring at him. He was on his hands and knees, the gravel having turned back into cement. Barsad rose and dusted off his pants and jacket, stuffing his hands in his pockets to warm them up.

It happened every now and then, the newly fallen snow bringing the memory that haunted him back to his thoughts. He tried to block it out, but it came unbidden and so suddenly he never knew when to expect it.

Barsad took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to relax his racing thoughts.

A yellow jacket in a storefront window caught his eye. It was yellow and fitted, tan fur lining the hood. Margo came to his mind, and he wondered if she was cold in the sewer. He entered the store and looked around, no sign of the jacket anywhere.

"Can I help you with something?" a small petite woman asked.

"That jacket in the window," he said, "do you have anymore?"

"Follow me right this way." She said, smiling politely.

She lead him to a rack that was full of them, and he picked the one that looked like it would fit Margo the best. He allowed the woman to carry it back to the checkout and handed her the cash.

"She must be lucky." The woman said.

"Who?" Barsad asked.

"The woman you're buying this coat for. She's a lucky gal."

Barsad just nodded, not really knowing what to say. The woman handed him the bag with the coat in it and told him to have a good day.

As he was on his way back to the sewers, another thing caught his eye. A hoodie representing the Gotham Rogues hung in the window, and he decided to buy that too, along with a nice pair of pants.

Barsad had never been soft, but if he was all alone in a room full of blood, made out of cement, and with winter coming, he'd want to be warm too.

"She must be lucky." Rang in his mind.

As he descended the steps into the sewer, he couldn't help but feel bad for the girl.

_**Okay, so I'm soooo sorry for the update that hasn't come yet this year! That's like, almost 7 months now! Don't worry, though, I'm still in love with Barsad because he's totally hot, and I mean come on, he's in one episode of GRIMM! Omg, I just tuned in for another episode and then all of a sudden BAM! there's Barsad! **_

_**Anyhoo, I'm hoping that maybe possibly the very prolonged update of this chapter will draw in a larger audience! (Not saying that I don't already LOVE the ones who have stuck around for this story!) **_

_**So with that said, please enjoy this chapter!**_


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